Fire Across the Sky
by Spunky0ne
Summary: When Byakuya's cousin, Tetsuya assumes third seat in the sixth division, Renji is instantly smitten. But after the younger noble is injured in a vicious attack by a rival clan leader, Renji learns a well kept secret about Byakuya and Tetsuya. Amidst the growing tensions between clans, love blossoms. mpreg Bya/Ren/Tetsuya
1. When Fire Met Rain

**Fire Across the Sky**

**By Spunky0ne**

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**(My apologies to those inconvenienced when I took this story down today, but I was rethinking it, then was struck by a lot of PM's wondering where it went. So, I will be putting it back up as it was and continuing from there. Thanks so much to everyone who encouraged me to continue it. I promise that it is going to be a very enjoyable Bya/Renji/Tetsuya threesome. :) Again, my apologies for the inconvenience. *Note...the end of the chapter changed very slightly, as I had made changes in doc manager, but never saved them to the original word document, so lost the last little bit. I think it's pretty similar, but sorry for that!*) _AN**Chapter three is a new update!**_**

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**Chapter 1: When Fire Met Rain**

"Renji," said Byakuya, looking up from his work as the redhead entered the sixth division, "You are actually on time this morning. That is a good thing. There is someone I would like you to meet."

Renji glanced around the room, but not seeing anyone, he looked back at the noble questioningly.

"He will be back in a moment. I sent him to make tea for the three of us."

"You're having him make your tea?" Renji asked, looking surprised.

"Yes."

Seeing Renji's odd expression, he hastened to explain.

"He is familiar with the process. He is actually a member of my household, a cousin of mine. When the third seat officer's position opened up, I recommended him to Soutaichou, and he approved the assignment. He is near your age and appreciably powerful. He, in fact, has bankai, however, he has not served in the military before. But the elders have given permission for him to serve with me."

"Ah," Renji acknowledged, sitting down in his chair to wait for the new third seat's arrival.

He heard a delicate footstep and looked up, standing involuntarily as the young man entered the room. He was a shade smaller and slighter than Byakuya with more wavy, less controlled silken black hair and wide sapphire eyes that looked far too friendly to belong to any Kuchiki clan member. He had the same perfect, pale skin and delicate build as the clan leader, but where Byakuya's face had a more angular look, this young man's was more heart shaped. His step was lighter than Byakuya's, but his reiatsu pulsed softly around him, telling Renji just what a formidable fighter the man must be.

_All that and as pretty as taichou is..._

"Renji, this is our new third seat, Kuchiki Tetsuya. Tetsuya, this is my fukutaichou, Abarai Renji."

Renji extended a hand and Tetsuya smiled and accepted it.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Abarai fukutaichou," he said, bowing briefly, "Byakuya-sama..."

Byakuya cleared his throat meaningfully and Tetsuya blushed cutely.

"Erm...I mean, _Kuchiki taichou_ has told me a lot about you."

"Eh, I hope it didn't scare you too badly, Kuchiki-san," Renji joked.

He felt a soft twinge at the noble's cute expression, and how he blinked and then smiled in amusement as the joke registered.

"Not at all," he chuckled, "As a matter of fact, he was quite complimentary. And hearing the way he speaks of you, I was anxious to meet you."

"It's nice meeting you too. About the only family member I see is Rukia, and she is adopted into the family."

"Tetsuya's father and mine were first cousins," Byakuya explained, "They grew up at Kuchiki Manor together. Tetsuya and I met as teens. We have trained together for many years, so you will find him an excellent sparring partner when I am otherwise occupied."

"Sure," said Renji, "That would be great. "I can always use more practice, and it's good to have different opponents so that I don't lose my spontaneity on the battlefield."

"I agree," said Tetsuya.

_Gods, he's cute...cute, hot, looks pretty innocent...and he's Kuchiki taichou's favored cousin, making him, not only even more desirable, but completely off limits to me. Damn!_

"Why don't you show Tetsuya to his quarters and make him comfortable?" asked the noble, "I have a taichou's meeting, but I will be coming back to stay here and will leave with you for Karakura Town in the morning, Renji."

"Sure thing, Taichou," Renji said amiably, "No problem."

_If only 'showing him to his quarters' meant what I wished it meant._

The two left the office and walked down the hall to the third room. Renji opened the door and the two walked into the room together.

"It's not so big," commented Renji, "But upper officers don't have to share space. You have a private bathroom, and the closet's pretty big, though not even close to what you probably have at Kuchiki Manor."

"It will be fine, Abarai fukutaichou," the noble answered quietly.

"Huh," said Renji, noting the presence of several shihakushous and a few pieces of new furniture, "I guess Taichou already had them move in some things for you."

He started to say more, but froze expectantly as the squad alert signal sounded.

_Code yellow alert...code yellow alert...Squad Six survey group B is under attack in Karakura Town. Reinforcement group please respond. Squad Four is en route._

"That's us," said Renji, turning back towards the front office, "You want to wait here or come with me?"

"I will accompany you," said Tetsuya, following him down the hallway.

"Looks like Taichou left for the meeting already, so I'm lead and you're my wingman, okay?" said Renji, leading him out the front doors and into the meeting area, "Mostly, you'll just watch, but if anything threatens the group or I go down, you make sure everyone lives, got it?"

"Yes, Abarai fukutaichou," the noble answered.

He looked around as they waited for the last of the group to arrive, and gave a soft, odd sounding whistle. Renji was about to ask what he was doing, when he was distracted by the sound of hoofbeats approaching.

"Do you ride, Abarai fukutaichou?" Tetsuya asked, as the hoofbeats grew louder and a tall, muscular black stallion, with a wavy mane and tail, reminiscent of Tetsuya's hair, and large, sapphire eyes, burst into view.

"Do I...?" he began.

The stallion stopped for a moment, and Tetsuya bounded nimbly onto his back, then extended a hand towards Renji. The redhead flash stepped and scrambled up behind the younger man, then turned back to the gathered group.

"We're going ahead. Fourth Seat Tsutomu, you lead this group!"

"Hai, Abarai fukutaichou, sir!"

Tetsuya's heels touched the stallion's sides, and the beast launched himself forward into a fast gallop, making Renji grab onto the noble and hold on for dear life as the scenery raced by.

"I would suggest holding on with your legs," Tetsuya advised him, "but you are welcome to hold on to me as well."

Renji tightened his legs around the stallion, and leaned forward against the noble's slender back, enjoying the swift breeze that carried the scent of sakura across his senses, and the pleasant closeness with the other young man. The long ends of Tetsuya's hair teased his face and throat as they rode forward.

"You have access to a family senkaimon?" Renji asked.

"Yes," answered Tetsuya, "Where would you like to go?"

"The group was investigating a garganta that had opened near Urahara Kisuke's shop."

"I know where that is," said Tetsuya, drawing his blade and pointing it straight ahead.

A senkaimon opened ahead of them, and the stallion thundered into it without slowing. Renji spoke soft course adjustments to Tetsuya, who somehow relayed them to his mount without even speaking. An exit opened ahead of them, and the horse leapt down, passed through it, and emerged into the middle of a group of fighting hollows and shinigamis. The stallion reared, and Renji slid off over his rump, nodding his thanks to Tetsuya.

"Hang back, okay?" he ordered the noble, "If we get into trouble, get us out."

Tetsuya positioned himself on a small rise and watched as Renji flash stepped forward and sent Zabimaru cutting through the attacking hollows. Hollows screeched and died, several at a time as Renji attacked repeatedly, giving the other shinigamis precious moments to recover themselves. The group seemed well on its way to gaining the upper hand, when Tetsuya's sharp senses picked up an odd shift in the reiatsu around them. He watched Renji carefully as the fight continued, and realized after a moment that neither the redhead, nor the fighting group sensed the incoming threat.

He moved instantly, setting a number of waterforms near the battlefield and positioning himself to intercept the incoming hollows. A group of three Arrancars appeared, and closed in on the lone rider, laughing as he raised his blade in challenge.

"Tetsuya-san!" yelled Renji, catching sight of the noble facing down the three new enemies, and flash stepping towards him, "Don't try to take them on all at once!"

"Bankai!" cried Tetsuya, urging his mount into a run and angling his sword, "Koori no bakuha, Re-kuhime!"

Renji stared, dumbfounded as a hail of ice blades erupted from the tip of Tetsuya's blade and slashed at the powerful hollows, striking the three and forcing them back as they sought to raise their own power. The horse beneath the noble trumpeted, then stunned the redhead again by releasing a blast of ice blades, identical to his shinigami master's. Two of the Arrancars used sonido to escape in opposite directions as the stallion bore down on the third, which was still reeling from the double attack. The horse crashed headlong into the Arrancar, sending it sprawling, to be finished by Tetsuya's scathing blade as they rocketed past where the hollow had landed.

"Watch out!" Renji yelled, "Ceros!"

The two Arrancars that had separated, launched a dual attack on the horse and rider that had just destroyed their comrade. The ceros flashed and Renji's heart froze, seeing he wasn't close enough to intervene.

"Bankai!" he howled, "Hihio, Zabimaru!"

He sent the skeletal snake flying forward as Tetsuya and his stallion were swallowed up by the ceros.

"Damn it!" the redhead hissed, directing the snake so that it swept down on the two Arrancars and loosed a huge fire blast of its own.

"Take that, you bastards!" he shouted, a dark feeling overtaking him as he flash stepped forward, looking for where Tetsuya and his horse had come down.

"I think that is all of them, Abarai fukutaichou," said Tetsuya's voice, startling the redhead, "And our reinforcements just arrived."

"But...?"

"Arigatou for the assist," the noble went on, "though I was positioned to attack, you finished them more quickly."

"But...? Renji said again, "You were over there...and now you're...how?"

"Abarai fukutaichou, is something wrong?" Tetsuya asked, exchanging glances with his stallion.

"What...?" muttered Renji, "Okay, you wanna tell me what the _hell_ is going on here? How did you escape that blast? I thought you got fried!"

"Oh," said the noble, drawing his sword again, "I have an elemental zanpakutou that is water based. I set waterforms."

He used his blade to raise a barely perceptible copy of himself astride the horse. Renji gasped as he slashed his sword downward, striking himself and his mount, then he marveled as they disappeared and reappeared where the waterform had been placed, and water splashed to the ground where they had been.

"You could not see the water because it was evaporated by the heat of the ceros. My apologies for worrying you."

"Oh...hey, no problem," Renji said, rolling his eyes, "You just scared the piss outta me. I thought I got Taichou's cousin fried on the first mission. He would have had my ass!"

"Not to worry, Abarai fukutaichou," said Tetsuya, giving him a congenial smile, "It ended well."

"Abarai fukutaichou, who _is_ that?" asked one of the squad members.

"I thought it was Kuchiki taichou until he attacked those Arrancars!"

"He's a third seat and he has a bankai?

"Did you see those ice blades?"

"What is your horse's name?"

Renji noticed the light blush that came to Tetusya face and throat, and could see the hint of anxiety in his features.

"All right, guys. Back off the poor fella and let him breathe. This is Kuchiki Tetsuya, our new third seat. And that's his horse,...?"

"Arashi," Tetsuya supplied, "Pleased to meet you."

Arashi bowed his head, then tossed it and whinnied.

"We'll have plenty of time for talking when we get back. Is the reconnaissance done for the area?"

"Hai, Abarai fukutaichou," said the fifth seat, "We had it all ready to go when we were attacked."

"All right, then," said Renji, "Team secure, mission accomplished. Let's go home."

Renji moved to the head of the group, walking with Tetsuya on Arashi at his side. They made their way to the central senkaimon and passed over together into the Seireitei.

"So, lots of excitement on your first day, ne?" queried Renji.

"Yes, so there was."

"Well," said Renji, "The next bit's not so exciting as fighting hollows. Every mission, every battle, pretty much every time we freaking breathe, there's a report that has to be filed. So, you and I are going to do a writeup on this skirmish. Hope you were paying attention, because the report has to include descriptions of enemies fought and techniques used in battle."

"Ah," said the noble, nodding, "Well, we have a similar procedure we use in house security at the manor, and Byakuya-sama...erm...Kuchiki taichou had me fashion it using the Gotei 13 model."

"Oh, that's useful," said the redhead, "But tell me something. If you were important enough to be doing something like that, then what are you doing taking a military position now? Why didn't you take one before?"

"I have been head of house security and Kuchiki taichou's personal bodyguard for some time. And the council of elders imagined that it made sense for me to be posted where he spends the bulk of his time. We were only waiting for a position to open that was high enough rank to put me close to him."

"Is that why he's been pressuring me to promote?" Renji asked, frowning.

"Has he?" asked Tetsuya, "If so, it is because he feels that you are ready. But his reasons were unrelated to my placement in the squad, I assure you."

"But you already have a bankai..."

"Why should that matter?" asked the noble, "In terms of powers, you and I are probably evenly matched, so a squad in that situation is actually quite fortunate, from a strategic viewpoint. And I have no aspirations to advance to your position, unless you should promote and the position becomes open."

"So...you really aren't so interested in serving the Gotei 13..."

"I am here to protect Kuchiki taichou," the noble said simply, "I will, of course, adhere to chain of command and the laws of the organization, but I have a dual purpose in being here, yes."

"Do your elders think that Taichou is in some kind of danger?" asked the redhead, "Is that why they encouraged this?"

Tetsuya gave him a guarded look.

"A clan leader has many enemies, and must be, at all times vigilant," he said solemnly, "My presence near Kuchiki taichou is meant to be an expression of that vigilance."

Renji nodded briefly and went quiet.

_I wonder what's really going on here._

_Is Taichou in some kind of danger?_

He continued to mull it over in his mind as they re-entered the Seireitei and took the road back to the sixth division. Upon reaching the headquarters, the two found Byakuya working quietly at his desk. He looked up as the two walked in and nodded in greeting.

"Renji, Tetsuya, I understand that your first battle together went well?"

"Yes sir," reported Renji, "We were able to safely extract the team and the information they had gathered, although Tetsuya-san's power kinda took me by surprise, and I wasn't aware that he had a bankai until I saw him use it."

"You used your bankai?" Byakuya asked Tetsuya.

"Yes, sir," the younger noble said solemnly.

"He spotted three incoming Arrancars that the rest of us didn't sense, killed one and was poised to take out the other two when I finished them."

"I see," Byakuya said, gazing up at Tetsuya, "Tetsuya, it sounds as though you did well for your first experience in military combat. However, in the future, I would like you to reserve use of your bankai for extreme situations."

"But sir," Renji began, "Tetsuya was just..."

"I understand. But it is important, not just for the members of the squad to see Tetsuya's abilities, but that they see the two of you working in tandem and Tetsuya responding to you in a way befitting of your respective ranks. I am not suggesting that my cousin endanger himself, but neither should he be too swift to resort to use of his bankai when a lesser power would suffice. Tetsuya, I know that at Kuchiki Manor, you were accustomed to fighting all out at full power. In this organization, we reserve full power for times when other powers fail."

"I understand," Tetsuya said softly.

"Very well," said the noble, "Now, Tetsuya, if you will go and make the three of us some tea, I need to speak to Renji privately."

"Yes, sir," Tetsuya replied, turning down the hallway.

Renji bit at his lip gently, thinking about what Byakuya said as the noble motioned for him to sit in the chair next to the noble's desk.

"So," he said, when Renji was seated, "What was your honest impression of my cousin?"

"Ah, Tetsuya did great. He followed orders to the letter, used his senses well, responded quickly to changes on the battlefield, and I think his use of bankai was reasonable, considering. There were three freaking Arrancars..."

"I know that," Byakuya acknowledged, "But I want him to learn to respond to you as a subordinate should respond to his senior officer. He is unaccustomed to that, having only worked as security staff at the manor. As I said, he should not endanger himself, but should hold back until bankai is really necessary."

"Understood."

"Good. Now, something has come up and I cannot accompany you to the living world tomorrow. I would like you and Tetsuya to go together, so that you can adjust to working together."

"Sure thing, Taichou," Renji answered, carefully hiding his disappointment that the noble would not be coming along on the mission as planned.

_But Tetsuya is pretty darned attractive also._

_Cute, kind of innocent..._

_Damn._

"I have every confidence that Tetsuya will conduct himself well," Byakuya went on, "But...I want you to watch over him carefully, Renji."

_Huh?_

_Taichou is worried about his bodyguard getting hurt?_

_And earlier, it seemed to me like Tetsuya might be here because of concern about Taichou's safety._

_I wonder what is going on..._


	2. Promise of Silence

**Chapter 2: Promise of Silence**

**(Warning...This chapter is pretty dark and contains references to non-con sex, but will not be graphic in detail. Just didn't want to shock and upset anyone by surprising them with the turn the story takes here. Questions will be raised in this chapter and the answers slowly revealed, and readers will see how everything fits together later on in the story...so some angst here that will set the groundwork for Renji and Tetsuya's interactions, then things will lighten up again, but the danger will linger throughout the story. Hope that makes sense!)**

Renji opened the door to the large, well apportioned double suite and followed Tetsuya inside, then closed the door behind them.

"Gods, I love the places that Taichou picks for us when we go on assignment!" the redhead sighed appreciatively, "But I am sure that you know what I mean, ne?"

Tetsuya smiled but didn't answer, and his gaze followed Renji's as the redhead gestured towards the room off to the right of the entrance to the suite.

"That's your room. Why don't you go get comfortable while I run out and touch bases with our contact here?"

"Shouldn't I go along?" asked the noble, "I am here to assist you, Abarai fukutaichou."

"Eh, no, this guy is no trouble. He's a friend of mine. I'll introduce you later. And please call me Renji. You don't have to be so formal when we are alone together, Tetsuya-san."

"Hmmm," said Tetsuya, meeting his gaze quietly, "I mean no disrespect, sir, but Byakuya-sama...erm...Kuchiki taichou did specifically instruct me to defer to you at all times while we were here. I do not wish to offend you, but you will understand if I must follow our taichou's order."

Renji laughed softly and shook his head dismissively.

"Have it your way, then, Tetsuya-san. Now, go relax a bit. I will be right back."

"Of course, sir. And just so you are aware...I have instructed Arashi to accompany you whenever I am not with you..."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Renji chuckled, "I am just going to..."

"You may either ride him to wherever you are going or he will make himself unseen and follow you, but Kuchiki taichou impressed upon me that as your subordinate, while deferring to your orders, I must always watch my superior's back."

"Whatever makes you happy, then," Renji said, good naturedly, turning back towards the door, "I shouldn't be gone too long and when I get back, we can have dinner, okay?"

"Hai, Abarai fukutaichou," Tetsuya said, coaxing a widening of Renji's smile.

_Gods, this guy gets cuter by the moment..._

Still smiling, Renji exited the suite, leaving Tetsuya alone. The blue eyed shinigami looked around the common area and moved into the kitchen, locating the food that had been stocked prior to their arrival at the Kuchiki clan leader's command.

_Byakuya-sama said that Abarai-san prefers sweet or sweet and savory rather than spicy, so chicken teriyaki, rice and steamed vegetables should be pleasing. And I will make his preferred taiyaki for after. Byakuya-sama said that he very much enjoys that._

He gathered the necessary ingredients, preparing fresh egg drop soup, salad, a hot buttered shrimp appetizer and then the main course and homemade taiyaki. When the cooking was done, he left everything warming and started towards his room to change out of his uniform and into a more casual yukata. He paused as he passed the door to the suite, thinking he might have heard a voice outside the door. But when he heard nothing more, he moved on to his room, where he undressed and found the idea of a hot shower irresistible. He let the water warm and laid out his yukata, then prepared to enter the shower. But the sound of a footstep in his room made him pause and listen for a moment. He stepped out into his bedroom, extending his senses, then caught his breath in surprise as an arm wrapped tightly around his waist and a silver band snapped shut around his wrist, sealing away his powers.

_Arashi!_ his mind called out instantly as he fought the arms that held him so tightly that he couldn't seem to move.

Strangely, he could not seem to connect with the stallion's consciousness.

_This must be a very strong seal..._

A shock of stunning kido weakened his legs so that he was held on his feet by the other man, who seemed to realize suddenly that something was not as he expected.

"Well now...you are not Kuchiki Byakuya," he said, sounding surprised and turning Tetsuya's head slightly to get a better look.

Tetsuya had a flash impression of familiar slicked back, black hair and hard, glinting black eyes, then he was dragged across the room and thrown down roughly on the bed and trapped there.

"What did you want with our clan leader, Kuromori Tatsuo?" Tetsuya gasped, "That you would even think of approaching him in such a way! This is worse than any affront you have ever burdened our clan with! Get out of here now and you may escape our leader's wrath. Lay hands on me again, and whatever you do to me, he will kill you!"

The wicked smile the man gave him turned Tetsuya's blood to ice in his veins.

"Kill me? Over a half blood? I don't think so...not even if you are his favored cousin," the other man said, dragging the struggling shinigami onto his knees on the bed, "I think that his doting upon you has made you arrogant, half blood. But...I will be more than happy to remind you of your place, here and now!"

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Renji shook his head in appreciation as he took his leave of his friend and started back towards the hotel, not feeling Arashi's presence, although he knew full well that Tetsuya had instructed the stallion to follow him.

_Those two are pretty damned formidable together. I can see why Taichou depends on them for his safety._

He walked back to the hotel at a casual pace, somewhat disappointed at Byakuya's decision to send Tetsuya instead of coming on the mission himself, but still looking forward to getting to know Byakuya's younger cousin better.

_He's very likable, if a little shy and too intent on following Taichou's instructions to the very letter. Ah well, a little time with me should loosen him up a bit. And I have to admit that Tetsuya is not just cute, but damned adorable. I wonder if Taichou would kill me completely if I asked for permission to date him. Knowing my luck, he's probably straight as an arrow, but here's wishing..._

He chuckled softly to himself as he continued along the peaceful, tree-lined street, arriving back at the hotel just as the sun was setting. He rode the elevator up to their floor and passed the floor security guards, then walked to the end and entered the suite. He was surprised to find warm, delicious scents of food in the air and the table set for the two of them. He peeked in at the warming food and sighed happily.

_Oh my god...adorable and he cooks too! He is so made for me. Gods, I hope he likes guys..._

He glanced at the closed door to Tetsuya's room, then glanced down at the place settings at the table. He heard water running and assumed that his lovely companion was showering after all of the work preparing their meal. But as time went on and the sound of the water continued, Renji felt an odd, worried catch in his belly. He got up from the table and walked to Tetsuya's door, listening for a moment before tapping on the door lightly.

"Tetsuya-san?"

Hearing no answer, he tried the door and found it unlocked. He turned the handle and opened the door, clicking the lights on as he entered the room.

"Holy shit..." he breathed, the breath leaving him as he took in the sight of the tangled bedding and the splashes of blood on Tetsuya's scattered clothes.

He was across the room in a flash step and threw open the bathroom door, expecting the worst. He found the younger shinigami curled into a corner of the shower, the now-cold water raining down onto him where he sat on the shower floor, his arms curled around his knees and his face buried in his arms. His lovely, pale skin was marked with angry cuts and bruises, and even Renji's noisy approach did not stir him.

"Tetsuya-san!" Renji gasped, turning off the water and dropping to his knees in front of the young man.

He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the noble, then touched a trembling arm and called Tetsuya's name more softly. Still getting no response, he carefully touched Tetsuya's face, coaxing him to raise his head. Tetsuya complied quietly, but only stared dazedly ahead of him, his sapphire eyes frighteningly vacant.

"Tetsuya-san?" said Renji, "Listen, okay? I know someone hurt you. I'm going to take you to someone who can heal you, all right? We'll have to take some evidence so we can go after the person who did this, but..."

"No," Tetsuya said, with a soft air of finality.

"What?" queried Renji, taken aback at the odd response, "Tetsuya-san, you were just sexually assaulted. I'm not going to let someone do that to you and not do anything! You need healing now. Just...relax and trust me, okay? I know you're pretty roughed up, but you know I'm right. Just..."

"Abarai-san," Tetsuya said softly, "You cannot tell _him_."

Renji's eyes widened.

"Huh?" he muttered, frowning, "Tetsuya-san, what is going on here? Who did this to you? What is this about?"

"It doesn't matter," Tetsuya whispered shakily, "It's over. Just...go, Abarai-san. I will be all right."

Renji shook his head in disbelief, his temper flaring.

"You listen to me," he said in a low, controlled tone, "There is no way that I am going to let someone do this to you and not do anything...and hide it from Taichou! And I, sure as _hell_ am not going to just leave you here like this! I don't know what's going on here, but..."

"Renji-san!" Tetsuya said in a pained voice, shocking the redhead with his sudden departure from formality, "I am in full awareness of, first, what has happened to me and secondly, what my necessary course of action is. You have no understanding of what is going on here, and in truth, it is not yours to know. Just...you must respect that. If you try to force me, I will have Arashi break in here and free me..."

"Hey," Renji objected, more gently, "I'm not trying to strong-arm you, here. Tetsuya-san, I am trying to take care of you. You've been hurt. You need to let me do that...please."

Tetsuya hesitated, looking into Renji's eyes with devastation plain in his own.

"I am sorry, Abarai fukutaichou," said the noble, regaining his composure somewhat, "It is just that..."

"Stop," Renji said gently, "Don't apologize. I come from the lower Rukongai. I took care of my share of friends who had shit like this happen to them. Just, let me heal you, all right? We can leave the other stuff for now, but you really have to let me heal you."

Tetsuya paused, thinking for a moment.

"Abarai fukutaichou, will you give me your word that you will not tell anyone without my leave? Can I trust you to keep that promise?"

"Okay, fine. I will respect how you decide to handle this, but..."

"Then...heal me, if you wish. I will not fight you anymore."

Renji let out a relieved breath and helped Tetsuya slowly to his feet.

"Good. That will make things easier. Just...trust me. I'll take care of you, okay?"

Tetsuya said nothing more, but only nodded briefly, turning himself over to the redhead's care.

Renji guided him out of the room and into his own room where he wrapped a yukata around the younger man and had him lie down on his stomach on the sofa. He carefully bared Tetsuya again and took note of the location, size and type of each injury, noting them on a pad of paper on the table beside the sofa, then healing each injury. he worked his way slowly from head to toe, cataloguing and healing...purposely leaving the most intimate areas for last. Then, he helped Tetsuya turn onto his back and examined and healed the rest of him. Tetsuya laid still and cooperated silently, his eyes distant and lost, sometimes staring dazedly. Renji paused when all that was left were the intimate areas and he helped the noble sit up, facing him.

"I have to touch some private areas. Just tell me if you want me to stop and I will, okay?"

Tetsuya nodded silently and laid down again, looking away as Renji quietly examined and healed him. As he surveyed the damage and slowly made it disappear, his anger flared at the thought of anyone hurting such a gentle person as Tetsuya like that.

_I want to fucking kill the person who dared to do this to him. But if I get too forceful with him, I'll do more harm than good. So, I'll take care of him and gather the evidence, then deal with the rest later._

_I hope he decides to tell Taichou, though._

_I wonder if I should have made that promise to respect his wishes. What he wants may not be what's best for him. Damn! I wish I knew what to do. In the Rukongai, sexual assaults were part of the territory. But we're not in that place. We're in an upscale neighborhood with a low crime rate and nothing nefarious going on nearby. An attack like this...if it was random would be very out of place. That suggests that Tetsuya-san knew his attacker. And if so, I wonder why he doesn't want Taichou to know..._

"I'm done," he said finally, reaching out and tying the front of Tetsuya's yukata closed, "I'll go make you some tea, okay?"

Tetsuya nodded silently.

"Arigatou, Abarai fukutaichou."

"Please, would you call me Renji?" the redhead said, shaking his head, "I think that the fact that we've shared a bit more than a simple mission to Karakura Town makes us a little more than superior officer and subordinate. You can use my title when others are present, but when we are alone, I want you to call me Renji."

Tetsuya observed him quietly for a moment, then nodded briefly.

"Arigatou, Renji-san," he said sleepily.

"I'll be back with that tea and a little something to eat in a minute. You stay there and rest."

He left the room and returned a few minutes later, only to find that the younger man had climbd into his bed and fallen asleep. Renji left the food and tea on the nightstand, then went back to Tetsuya's room and carefully catalogued everything he found, preserving the evidence meticulously.

_I am sure some critical evidence was destroyed when he went into the shower, but I'll take everything I can get from here. And once he's had time to settle down and listen to reason, we can look at this and figure out who did this and why._

_I only wonder if my suspicion from earlier was right and he knew his attacker..._

_And I wonder, if he did, what would make him want to keep that from his cousin. I wonder if it has something to do with the clans. I don't really get all of their ideas and rules and attitudes. It's a really different world than the one I grew up in...a lot more complicated..._

"Renji-san!" Tetsuya's voice cried suddenly from the other room.

Renji flash stepped out of Tetsuya's room and back across the large suite to his, where he found Tetsuya sitting up and staring through widened, distressed eyes, and panting in fear. The redhead sat down on the bed and pulled him close, holding him tightly as he dropped his head onto the redhead's shoulder, his slender body shaking all over.

"I am sorry I startled you," he apologized, "It was only a nightmare."

"Yeah?" said Renji, looking relieved that the noble wasn't in any danger, "Well, you're entitled. I'm sorry that this happened to you. I was supposed to watch your back as much as you were supposed to watch mine."

"You couldn't have known that someone would do this," Tetsuya said, said, shaking his head, "It was...unexpected."

"Can you tell me now who it was? Was it someone you know? An enemy?"

Tetsuya shivered.

"I am sorry, Renji-san," he said softly, "I cannot talk about it right now."

"Okay," said the redhead, rubbing the noble's back gently, "But at some point, we are going to have to talk about it, okay?"

Tetsuya bit his lips and nodded briefly, then started to climb out of the bed.

"Oh, no you don't," Renji objected instantly, "Where in blazes do you think you're going?"

"I have to clean up my room and then I am going to sleep," Tetsuya said, yawning wearily.

"Forget it. Lie down. You're not going back in there tonight. You'll stay with me."

"Renji-san..."

"Lie down. Don't get cheeky with your superior officer, got it?"

"Erm...well, as you wish," Tetsuya said, lying back down.

He caught his breath softly as Renji settled down next to him and coaxed Tetsuya into settling onto his shoulder. He continued to rub Tetsuya's back gently as the noble started to drift off.

"Tetusya," he whispered, bringing the younger man back from the edges of sleep, "There's something kinda personal I need to ask you."

"Hmmm?"

"Are you...or have you ever been in a serious relationship?"

He paused for a moment, rethinking the question.

"I'm only asking because it may help us to understand why you were attacked."

A long silence followed before the noble gave his soft reply.

"I had an intimate relationship with one person, but he died some time ago."

"I'm sorry," Renji said, sympathetically.

"Thank you, Renji-san."

"Have you ever been sexually assaulted before?" Renji asked.

"Yes. I was held in a secret noble prison for a time and the boy who was my lover and I were sexually abused numerous times during our incarceration there."

_Damn!_

"Does Taichou know? About the boyfriend and the abuse you two suffered?"

"Yes," Tetsuya affirmed, "It was Byakuya-sama who rescued me. My lover was killed during our escape."

"Again, I'm really sorry."

"That is all right. You were only asking because it was necessary. But you need not worry, Renji-san. I have endured this before. I will be fine."

"Okay, now get some sleep."

"You really needn't coddle me so," Tetsuya objected, "I am not weak."

"No, I didn't think you were," said Renji, giving him a smirk, "but you do have a tendency to argue a lot with your superior officer. I gave you an order. Now, lie down and get some rest. We still have work to do here, so we need to get some shuteye."

"Of course, Renji-san," said the noble, the edges of a smile touching his lips.

He set his head back on Renji's shoulder, his body calmer and more relaxed as he drifted off again. Renji held him quietly and caressed his wispy hair lightly, thinking carefully.

_Back in the Seireitei, I got the feeling, not only that Tetsuya might have been posted in our squad to protect Taichou from something, and that Taichou was worried about harm coming to his cousin. It really sounds like something is going on here._

_I wonder what it is..._

_I wonder what it will take to get him to tell me._


	3. Tremors

**Chapter 3: Tremors**

"Oh...!" Tetsuya gasped, breathlessly as he started to sit up and pain rocketed through his healing body.

He leaned forward, taking soft, panting breaths, spots dancing in front of his eyes and distress plain on his comely face. Renji sat up next to him, smiling and shaking his head sympathetically.

"Hurts like hell, huh?" he said, reaching a hand in the young noble's direction to offer him a pain block, "You really got the stuffing knocked outta you."

Instantly, Tetsuya's back straightened, his lips tightened, and he leaned away from the redhead, frowning.

"I am fine," he said in a low, controlled voice, "I will go and make something for us to eat. You like your tea light, no cream, extra sugar, ne?"

Renji tilted his head, crossed his arms and gave Tetsuya a stern look.

"What are you _talking about_?" he asked stridently, "Tetsuya, you're not going _anywhere_. You can pretend all you want, but I can see you feel like shit and I'm not going to have you killing yourself, making food for me like a goddamned servant. Lie down before you _fall _down."

"Gomen nasai," the young man said, stiffening rebelliously, "I am _not _going to fall down. I am perfectly capable of shoving off discomfort and focusing on what needs to be done. I will not be treated like a child, Abarai fukutaichou!"

"Hey," Renji said reprovingly, taking the younger man by the shoulders and gently shoving him back down onto his pillow, "Who the hell is the fukutaichou here and who's the subordinate? I told you to lie down. That was an order, Kuchiki, and I damned well expect you to obey it."

Tetsuya gave him a startled look and went silent.

"I'm making breakfast today. So, hey, it will probably feel more like home to you, coming from Kuchiki Manor, where servants are at your beck and call twenty-four seven. That's gotta be nice..."

Tetsuya loosed a clipped laugh.

"I suppose it is, for the people that actually applies to. In truth, until Byakuya-sama and I were able to win council approval for my promotion to head of security and Byakuya-sama's personal bodyguard, I _was_ one of Byakuya-sama's attendants, although he asked very little of me."

"That why you're such a good cook?" Renji asked, smiling.

"I am good at cooking because after spending much of my childhood in the noble's prison, where the food is all one color and tastes of rot and the water is foul and made us sick half of the time, I became enchanted with culinary variety, and Byakuya-sama happily indulged me by teaching me how to cook."

"Whoa...wait a sec! _Taichou_ taught you to cook? Really?"

"Well," said Tetsuya, smiling at the memory, "He realized fairly quickly that I enjoyed the variety of foods and all of the ways that they could be prepared, and he indulged my interest by cooking with me and encouraging me to experiment."

"That's great," Renji said amiably, "So, it seems like you and he are pretty close."

"He saved my life," Tetsuya said, matter-of-factly, "And we worked closely together with his grandfather to change the perception of mixed bloods, and how they are treated in the family."

"Mixed bloods?" Renji queried, "You're...?"

"I am half-noble, half-peasant. My father was Kuchiki Takao, first cousin of Kuchiki Soujun, Byakuya-sama's father, and my mother was Kiko of the mid-Rukongai. They met and fell in love at a time when marrying a commoner wasn't just looked down on, but was severely punished."

"I've never understood that attitude," Renji sighed, "I mean, we're all living beings..."

"But some claim a higher standard, both in life and the way they live it," Tetsuya explained, "You know that Byakuya-sama defied the clan and married Hisana of Inuzuri."

"Yeah?"

"Well, part of the reason that the elders finally accepted Byakuya-sama's argument and allowed them to marry was because of reaction to what happened to my family, and to others like us. You see, my parents realized that the clan would punish them if it was found out that they had fallen in love, but I had already been conceived, and they could not give each other up. My father knew what the clan would do, so the two escaped into the Rukongai. My mother was days from giving birth when a group of men burst into their home and took them away to a secret prison, not far from Kuchiki Manor. Soujun knew that they had been taken and he tried desperately to find them, but he died before he could. My parents were incarcerated, and I was born in the prison. My father was executed while I was an infant, and my mother died as she tried to keep the guards from taking me away to my initiation."

"Initiation?" repeated Renji, a sick feeling rising inside at the word.

"At age fourteen, boys within the prison were considered young men, and they were initiated sexually by groups of guards."

"Shit," Renji breathed, shaking his head, "That's awful..."

"I was fortunate in that a slightly older boy named Naoki had befriended me. He explained what they were going to do so that I wouldn't be afraid. He said that if I was calm, that they wouldn't be forceful. He gently instructed me in how to please them, and I gave up my innocence to him before the guards came for me."

"So, Naoki was the lover you told me about?"

"Yes. And he is the reason I survived long enough for Byakuya-sama to learn of the prison and to come to free us. Naoki died when he stepped between me and one of the guards, during our escape. He saved my life, then Byakuya-sama found me and learned who I was. And because our fathers had been close, he insisted upon bringing me into his household. He was forced to do so by making me one of his attendants. And many of the family members looked down on me, for that my blood was mixed. I didn't mind so much because Byakuya-sama and I became as close as brothers. And slowly, over time, as the details of the atrocities within the prison were brought to light, the views of some family members softened. And clan policy was less strictly enforced. So that, by the time that Byakuya-sama met Hisana, he was able to secure permission to marry her, even though their child, had they had one, would have been a half-blood, like me."

"I'll bet she was pretty grateful to you," Renji chuckled.

"Yes Hisana and I became close friends. She was...very kind...very gentle. It was easy to like her, even though..."

Tetsuya broke off suddenly, leaving Renji feeling that he had missed something important.

"Well, that is enough about me," the noble went on, "And I really needn't ask about you, as Byakuya-sama has told me so much about you."

"I hope it was mostly good," Renji said, grinning.

"Oh, it was," Tetsuya assured him, "Byakuya-sama holds you in very high esteem, Renji-san."

"That's good to hear," Renji said, laughing softly, "He's not one to say so much, but, good or bad, he gets the point across."

"He does," Tetsuya agreed.

"Okay," Renji said, standing, "I'm gonna go see about making some breakfast. Now, I'm _ordering_ you to stay in this bed and actually rest. I will need your help on the next part of this mission, so I want you in top form."

"Of course, Renji-san," Tetsuya said, smiling gratefully.

He watched as Renji left, then sighed softly and laid back against the pillows and closed his eyes. He started to drift off, but came awake again with his stomach lurching, his heart in his throat, and his attacker's deep, hateful voice in his mind.

_"I think that his doting upon you has made you arrogant, half blood. But...I will be more than happy to remind you of your place, here and now!"_

Tetsuya's skin crawled with the memory of the man's fingers digging in painfully, hot breath on the back of his neck, sharp teeth sinking into his shoulder, and the explosion of scathing heat inside him. Overcome, he abandoned the bed and fled into the bathroom. He emptied his stomach violently, then retreated into the shower, leaving the water cold to chase away the suffocating heat he felt everywhere on his body at once. He tried to think of something else, to focus his mind on anything but what had happened, but the more recent attack still tore at him. And as the agonizing minutes passed, they brought back other, deeply submerged memories.

"Oh!" Tetsuya moaned, closing his eyes tightly and trying to force the memories away.

_"Please! He is too young! Don't do this to him! Don't take him in there!"_ his mother's voice cried in his mind.

_"Get back!" one of the guards said, shoving the petite, brown-haired woman away._

_She seemed to fall in slow motion as Tetsuya tore free of the guard holding him, and ran towards her._

_"Mother!"_

_He went breathless as her body was thrown back against the rocky wall of the cell, then landed roughly, her head striking the hard, stone floor._

_"MOTHER!" he screamed._

_He fought wildly, then, tearing at the hands that tried to pull him away from her._

_"LET ME GO! She's hurt! Let me go!" he sobbed, his eyes widening as blood seeped out from under the collapsed woman's head._

"Tetsuya, for kami's sake, snap out of it!" yelled Renji's voice, bringing the noble suddenly back to reality.

Tetsuya sucked in a pained breath and opened his eyes.

He found himself still naked and on his knees under the icy spray of the shower, face to face with a worried looking Renji, with the redhead's hands holding his wrists tightly and his troubled eyes staring down into Tetsuya's.

Seeing awareness returning to Tetsuya's eyes, Renji released his wrists and reached up to turn off the shower. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the younger man's body, then left the shower for a moment to dry himself off and put on a fresh yukata.

Tetsuya knelt for a moment longer, gathering himself, then stood on shaky legs and dried himself off. He wrapped the wet towel around himself and was starting to exit the bathroom, when he felt Byakuya's presence, and it hit him suddenly that Renji was standing just inside the bedroom doors, holding one of Tetsuya's yukatas and talking to the clan leader.

"Oh no..." Tetsuya breathed, blanching as Byakuya's eyes found him, and he saw the burning anger in them.

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said, his reiatsu rising ominously, "It is painfully obvious that you have been sharing Renji's room...his shower and, apparently, his bed. Would you care to explain yourself?"

Tetsuya's breath froze in his lungs and his limbs went numb. His head spun and his vision dimmed warningly as he faced his elder cousin, struggling to speak. Something seemed to come undone inside him, and his legs gave way, sending him crashing to the floor.

"Shit!" hissed Renji as he and Byakuya flash stepped to the fallen man's side, "Taichou, I was trying to explain. He's been...sick, sick as a dog, the whole time. I brought him in here because it was easier to take care of him and rest, myself, that way. I'm sorry that it looked like something was going on. But I promise you, nothing happened between Tetsuya and me...nothing!"

Byakuya knelt at his cousin's side, ignoring Renji completely as he rested his palms on Tetsuya's collapsed form, infusing him with healing power. He frowned as he scanned his cousin's body, shaking his head as he looked up at Renji.

"Abarai fukutaichou," he said, disapprovingly, "It is clear to me that Tetsuya is not recovering from simple illness. Did you really think that I would miss the signs of this?"

"Ah..." Renji said, nervously.

"B-byakuya-sama," Tetsuya said, his eyes fluttering and opening again.

"Tetsuya, what is going on here?" Byakuya asked in a less angry, more concerned tone, "You were injured recently. I can see that. How?"

Tetsuya gave Renji a look of warning.

_Do not forget what you promised me!_

"I...it was stupid, really. I was surprised by a hollow. And...remembering your order not to use my bankai unnecessarily, I hesitated at a wrong moment and took some damage. I didn't want you to worry, and I was going to be fine. I just...became feverish as I was healing, and Renji cared for me. That it all that happened, Byakuya-sama. I swear to you that nothing happened between Renji-san and me!"

Byakuya gazed into Tetsuya's widened blue eyes for a long moment, then looked up at Renji questioningly. Renji nodded.

"It's like he said, Taichou. He is just adjusting, getting used to us working together, like you wanted us to...and we...didn't coordinate so well at first. But, He's okay, really. I wasn't going to let anything happen to him. It's pretty clear how close you two are."

Renji saw an odd flash of emotion that appeared in Byakuya's eyes, then disappeared just as rapidly.

"Very well," said the noble, slipping an arm around the younger noble and helping him to his feet, "Come, Tetsuya, I will tend to you for the rest of today, and we will continue our work on this mission tomorrow, provided you are well enough. Renji, you met with our contact here?"

"Y-yeah," the redhead confirmed, "There's a meeting later today, but I can handle it myself so you can..."

"No," said the noble, "You should not attend alone."

"Arashi can back him up," offered Tetsuya, "He followed Renji-san yesterday and learned the territory here."

"Ah, good," Byakuya said approvingly, "Come then."

Tetsuya gave Renji a look of gratitude and relaxed against his cousin's shoulder as Byakuya led him out of Renji's room and back to his own. The clan leader closed and locked the door behind them, then walked with his cousin to the bed, where Tetsuya sat down and rubbed his hands over his face to clear his mind. Byakuya stepped into the closet, and returned with a dark, burgundy colored yukata. Tetsuya came to his feet, letting the towel drop to the floor and keeping his eyes lowered as Byakuya helped him into his yukata, then captured his face in both hands and offered him a warm, lingering, open-mouthed kiss.

"I am sorry that I doubted you," Byakuya said solemnly, "I know better than to think such things. It is just that...since we cannot be together openly, I sometimes feel guilty for keeping you from finding someone who could make you happier."

Tetsuya shook his head dismissively and sought Byakuya's mouth again, for several more deep kisses.

"No one could make me happier than you do, Byakuya-sama," he whispered, placing his hands over the ones that touched his face, "And anyway...who would want a broken thing like me anyway."

"Tetsuya..."

"No, it's true," Tetsuya went on, tears coming to his eyes, "You know it is. No one is ever going to want a lover who cannot give everything. And despite having been your lover for all of this time, I still cannot..."

Byakuya sat down on the bed with Tetsuya, and wrapped his arms around him, comfortingly.

"Stop," the clan leader said, shaking his head, "You know that there is much more to what is between us than things of a sexual nature, Tetsuya. It does not matter to me if we are never together that way. If all we can do is kiss and touch each other, we are still able to satisfy each others' needs. And I choose to believe that we will break through this."

"But we have been like this for almost fifty years!" Tetsuya exclaimed softly, "And I have not been able to put this behind me for even more. Byakuya-sama, the last person I gave myself to was Naoki! And that was...that was forever ago! I should have been stronger. I should have been able to put that place, and the things that happened there behind me."

"You have come a great distance from the poor, ragged prisoner you were, Tetsuya," Byakuya reminded him. You are a powerful and accomplished shinigami...and you and I have done so much to change the perception and treatment of mixed blood family members. I know that it distresses you that you are still burdened with that horrid pain from before, but do not think only of that. Think of what you have _accomplished_."

"I know," Tetsuya sighed, resting his head on Byakuya's shoulder and closing his eyes, "I just...I want to be able to give you everything. Kami knows that you have done everything you could to mend me. I do not know what made you do that...but I am...so grateful, Byakuya-sama. And however shattered it was, I gave my heart to you. I am not going to do anything to destroy what is between us. But you know that I will understand if you feel you must move on and..."

Byakuya stopped his words with a sudden, hard kiss, then brought Tetsuya down on his back on the bed, lowering a hand to open their yukatas. He laid his body on top of the younger man's, letting his hands explore Tetsuya's healing form.

Tetsuya flinched and shivered at the contact, but forced his body to calm as Byakuya continued to kiss and explore him. But even though he could push away the physical signs, he couldn't stop the words that kept repeating in his mind...words first spewed by the guards of the family prison, then repeated by the one who had attacked him the day before.

_"I will be more than happy to remind you of your place, here and now!"_

He forced his eyes to open and fell deeply into Byakuya's, drawing the strength he needed to not freeze inside...to calmly accept his lover's hands exploring him, and to offer the same in return. But as Byakuya began to work his way downward, and his fingers touched him more intimately, Tetsuya turned suddenly, making Byakuya roll nimbly onto his back on the bed. Tetsuya slid down his body and began to pleasure him.

"Tetsuya!" Byakuya moaned, slipping his fingers into the younger man's hair as Tetsuya's warm mouth brought the clan leader quickly to the edges of bliss. Tetsuya drew back slightly as Byakuya's body went taut, then shuddered in climax.

Byakuya dragged the younger man back to his mouth and plunged in deeply, moaning contentedly at tasting himself on Tetsuya's damp lips and tongue. He turned to return the pleasure that Tetsuya had given him, but stopped at seeing the weary look in the younger man's eyes.

"I am sorry," Byakuya said, touching Tetsuya's face gently, "That was selfish of me, considering you are not well. I want to pleasure you, but you look as though it might be more painful than pleasant."

"I think it would be," said Tetsuya, grateful for the chance to gracefully decline, "But...I promise that once I have rested, I will do everything I can to please you...Byakuya-sama."

Byakuya shook his head and turned onto his side, wrapping his arms around the younger man and kissing him on the back of the neck.

"Rest, then," Byakuya whispered, "I am sure you will feel better when you wake."


	4. Secret Pain

**Chapter 4: Secret Pain**

**(A weekend request for Spunky's Nakama and Picklez80)**

Tetsuya stood quietly, his eyes lowered as Byakuya tested the shower water with one hand, then turned back to gently remove his cousin's yukata. A calm hand slipped beneath the younger man's chin, raising it slightly. Steel gray eyes gazed quietly into sapphire blue, reading the lingering melancholy and registering concern.

"What is it, Tetsuya?" the clan leader asked, "There is a weight on your heart. I can feel it. Is it something that I've done? Are you still upset that I accused you of being involved with Renji before? I did apologize for jumping to conclusions."

"No...no, Byakuya-sama...erm, I mean, Kuchiki tai..."

"Stop," Byakuya said, halting Tetsuya's words with a warm kiss, "We are alone and you are recovering from injury. Do not worry about how to address me. Here...in this place, forget for a moment that I am your leader and your taichou. In this place, Tetsuya, I am your lover. Please, I do not like the distance that you keep between us. We are equals here. I want that it should be a place where we can both let down our guard."

"I am sorry, Byakuya," the younger man whispered, feeling a quiver of wrongness inside at the lack of honorific, "You are right. The place where we lie down together should be a haven for us...a place where we can forget, if only for a short time, the weight of the demands upon us. Please forgive me. I am still weary. I had trouble sleeping, even as comforted as I was by lying in your arms."

"Well, there will be time for you to catch up on your rest now. After today's meeting, there will be several days with no appointments. So, if you wish, You and Renji and I can spend some leisure time together before the next phase of our mission."

"That sounds wonderful," Tetsuya said, regaining a smile.

Byakuya nodded in approval.

"Come then," he said, taking Tetsuya's hand, "The water should be hot enough now."

The two slipped in under the hot, steamy spray, where Byakuya stood, watching quietly as Tetsuya let the water soak his wavy black hair and wet the length of his body. He moved aside as Byakuya did the same. Then, the clan leader slipped an arm around his cousin, coaxing him into a gentle, comforting embrace.

_There is very definitely something that is troubling him. I see it so painfully clearly in his eyes and I feel tension in his body when I touch him. I thought, at first, that it was that I accused him of becoming involved with Renji, but I am relatively certain now that that isn't it. But...what is it? Tetsuya is a shy person. He is gentle and affectionate with the people he knows, and usually reserved around strangers. But although I know that he still has occasional nightmares about his incarceration, I had thought he was finally turning a corner. Then, something happened, and I feel that it happened yesterday. I need to convince him to talk to me...but how? If he has chosen not to say anything to me, there have to have been compelling reasons. Unless pushed to anger, Tetsuya does nothing without first thinking it through._

He let one hand rub the younger man's upper back, while the other slid down to gently caress Tetsuya's lovely pale bottom. Tetsuya closed his eyes and sank more deeply into Byakuya's arms, nearly falling asleep on his feet as the older man held him for a time, then slowly bathed him.

The tender handling calmed the quivers of memory that had been assaulting the younger man's mind, the flashes of residual pain on his skin where his clothes had been torn away, where the dark bruises had been lain as he had fought the rough hands of the rival clan leader. He was able to force away the harsh sting where the man's fingernails had raked his skin and the burning ache of having been penetrated forcibly.

But still, the man's laughter and cruel words echoed in his head.

_"I wondered what he saw in you, you know...why he would desire these widespread thighs over those of a well bred noblewoman...why those large, sad eyes, why those hands and arms, why that pouting mouth, milky throat and fine-carved breast. But now, I have to admit, you are a lovely specimen, for a mixed blood. And despite how many times he has enjoyed you, you are delightfully tight so that it must be like constantly taking a virgin. Not that one like you remembers innocence, ne Tetsuya? But you are a quiet type. I am sure you do not remind him of how many have tasted your gypsy flesh..."_

_"Get off of me!"_

"Tetsuya?"

He realized suddenly that he had pulled away from Byakuya, and that some of the wetness on his face was not water from the shower. He was grateful for the fact that his tears were not so obvious, that he had learned long ago to hide them when he needed to.

"I am sorry," he said quietly, "I think I am still hurting in a few places."

_Most especially your heart, watashi no koi. Why will you not talk to me?_

Tetsuya distracted the clan leader with a small smile and began to return Byakuya's show of affection. He took the soap from the other man's hands and massaged it into Byakuya's skin, moving unhurriedly from head to toe, and using the time to push away the heavy thoughts, so that by the time they washed the thick lather from their skin, his mood had notably lightened, and his eyes had lost some of the torment that Byakuya had seen in them before.

"You look better," Byakuya commented, lifting his chin to look into his eyes again.

"I am fine," Tetsuya said with greater confidence, "You need to stop worrying about me so much. Right now, it is important for me to settle into my role as your subordinate. I will not be able to do that with you hovering over me all of the time. And besides, Renji-san is sure to realize that we are more than cousins if we are too careless. You think that he does not realize we shared a bed last night?"

"Renji will not jump to conclusions about us. But you are right that we need to employ caution. As much as I dislike keeping what is between us a secret, things could go wrong in so many ways should we become too obvious."

Tetsuya nodded.

"If not just the council, there could be reaction in the military as well as among the clans."

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a moment.

"And the last thing we want is to touch off clan hostilities," he finished, "Things are tense, especially with the Kuromori clan. It wouldn't take much to incite violence right now."

"You are right," admitted Byakuya, "But I want you to put that out of your mind. We have our most capable diplomats handling that. And provided that nothing upsets the balance of things, we should be able to avoid war, even as badly as the Kuromori clan seems to desire one."

Tetsuya nodded, then gently shook the water from the long strands of his hair and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself, watching out of the corner of one blue eye while Byakuya finished bathing, then stepped out to join him. They finished drying off and wrapped their bodies in fresh yukatas, then left the bathroom and returned to the bedroom, where the smell of cooking food had invaded the room.

"Go and lie down," Byakuya said, nodding in the direction of the bed, "Your reiatsu is still unacceptably low. You will require one more day of rest before resuming your duties."

"Yes," said Tetsuya, looking amused, "just in time to take a few days off."

"So, it seems," Byakuya answered, a smirk invading the corners of his mouth, "but you will catch up on things quickly once the mission continues again."

"I look forward to that."

"Just be sure that in future battles you improve in your management and employment of your powers. Being in the military requires a kind of discretion that you have not been taught, but you will learn quickly, Tetsuya."

"Yes," he agreed as a soft tapping sounded on the door.

Byakuya walked to the bedroom door and unlocked and opened it, admitting Renji into the room. The redhead carried a breakfast tray loaded with food and a cup of hot green tea.

"I added some lemon and ginger to make it extra soothing," said Renji, "I always like that when I've taken a beating and need to relax to heal better."

"Arigatou, Renji-san," Tetsuya said, smiling, "I appreciate the gesture."

"You're welcome," replied the redhead, smiling good naturedly.

Byakuya observed the two quietly for a moment, then cleared his throat softly.

"Abarai," he said, meeting Renji's eyes, "I want you to stay here with Tetsuya while I attend the meeting today."

Renji gave him a startled look, but nodded in acceptance.

"Okay, Taichou. But, are you sure? I thought that you wanted to stay here with..."

"You can see to Tetsuya's needs well enough. And I want to feel out the situation myself before we proceed. When I return, we will have a few days of leisure before the mission continues. You may return to the Seireitei for some time off, if you wish, or you may join Tetsuya and me. We plan a visit to a beach house that we own along the coast. I believe that you were there once before..."

"Y-yeah," Renji said, his eyes widening, "Huge house with glass walls that open to let in the sea breeze...private beach...a full staff serving you like a king? Oh yeah, it's a little hard to forget. Are you...sure you want me tagging along on your vacation? I kinda got the feeling that you and Tetsuya might want to be..."

"We are happy to have you join us," Byakuya said, glancing at Tetsuya.

"Yes," agreed the younger man, exchanging glances with Byakuya, "I would like that."

"Okay," said Renji, "I'm in."

He looked back at the tea tray in Tetsuya's lap.

"You gonna eat or should I get hurt feelings that all I've seen you try is the tea?" he asked Tetsuya.

"Oh, sorry," Tetsuya said, smiling, "I will eat. I just became distracted."

"Well, we will leave you to it for a bit, then," said Byakuya.

"Yeah, Taichou, I have your breakfast ready in the kitchen. I would have brought it if I was an octopus and had extra arms, but..."

"Not to worry," said the noble, "I want to discuss the mission with you. We can eat in the kitchen and allow my cousin some peace and quiet to encourage him to eat and rest."

Tetsuya watched quietly as the two exited the room, then contemplated the food tray. He lifted a breakfast muffin and brought it to his lips, but felt an odd, sick feeling pass over him, even though his stomach had been rumbling hungrily a moment before. He studied the closed door for a moment and bit his lip, thinking.

_I don't wish to insult Renji-san, nor to trouble Byakuya-sama anymore, but..._

He tried a bite of food and a quick sip of the soothing tea together, but felt his stomach pitch uncomfortably as the food went down. He left the bed, a lightheaded feeling passing over him, and rushed to the bathroom, where he emptied his stomach, then rested quietly with his back against the wall, one pale, trembling hand reaching up to brush the sweaty strands of hair away from his face.

_What is wrong with me?_

_In the prison, I learned to accept when the guards came for me and took me to that room. I learned to lie quietly and listen to exactly what they said, to do everything without questioning or hesitating. So...is it because I fought him? Was I so conditioned not to defend myself that somehow, to do so felt wrong? Why is this happening?_

He heard the door to the bedroom open and Byakuya called his name. He left the bathroom and did his best to walk as normally as possible back to the bed.

"Is everything all right?" the clan leader asked.

"Yes," Tetsuya assured him, "I was just about to get back to that."

He sat down and forced himself to eat, while Byakuya prepared to leave for the meeting. The clan leader looked approvingly at the mostly emptied tray and picked it up to take it away as he leaned over to kiss Tetsuya before exiting the room. Tetsuya stiffened, seeing that Renji was standing in the doorway, but that his eyes widened and he stepped back before Byakuya could notice him there. The clan leader straightened, then gave Tetsuya a quiet smile of farewell and left the suite.

Tetsuya felt a shiver of anticipation go through him as he waited for the inevitable. But just as he heard Renji's approaching steps, the feeling of illness returned and he flash stepped to the bathroom and relieved himself of the rest of what he had eaten. He nearly jumped out of his skin as Renji's hand touched his shoulder lightly, then caressed the area gently as Tetsuya bent forward to surrender to the sick feeling again. He felt Renji's arm wrap around his waist, as the redhead helped him to his feet and back into bed, then washed his face gently with a cool, wet washcloth.

"You all right now?" he asked in a concerned tone, "You look pale as a ghost. Does...does Taichou know about this?"

Tetsuya tilted his head questioningly, frowning curiously.

"Oh," said Renji, smiling at him, "It's okay. Taichou told me about it once."

"Wh-what?" Tetsuya managed, looking mystified.

"He told me that some noble males are able to have kids. That's what's going on, right? You're pregnant with Taichou's baby?"

Tetsuya's face went white and his eyes rounded.

"Whoa, hey! Don't worry, I won't say anything, if you don't want me to. I guess I wasn't supposed to know that you and Taichou were seeing each other."

"No," said Tetsuya, swallowing a heavy knot of fear that had risen in his throat, "It is a serious breach of clan law. Byakuya-sama would be reprimanded by the elders for it...and I would likely be imprisoned."

"Don't worry," Renji assured him, sitting down on the bed and washing away fresh beads of nervous sweat that had risen on his forehead, "I won't tell anyone. But...if you're having Taichou's baby, won't you have to let it out sometime?"

Unbidden tears filled Tetsuya's eyes, making Renji's features soften in sympathy.

"You are right. That is it. I am pregnant, aren't I? And they are going to..."

"Taichou won't let them hurt you. You know that," Renji said reassuringly, "He won't let anything happen to you or the baby you are having together."

"Renji-san," Tetsuya sobbed softly, "B-byakuya-sama and I have never...we haven't..."

Renji's face fell.

"Oh."

The two gazed at each other silently for a moment.

"I don't know what to do," Tetsuya whispered.

"Why can't you just tell him what happened?" Renji asked, shaking his head, "Taichou would..."

"Renji-san," Tetsuya said in a shaky voice, "The only person who could have fathered this baby is that man who attacked me yesterday, and...you cannot tell Byakuya-sama..."

"I won't. I promised I wouldn't. But why? You know the guy, right? I got that feeling before."

"I know him," Tetsuya admitted, "He is a rival clan leader. And at present, our clans are on the brink of war. One misstep and fighting will break out. And it won't just be the men who will be involved, Abarai-san. There will, most certainly be collateral damage. There always is. And...I cannot bear to be the one who touches off such a thing! I would die..."

"But...isn't someone going to figure it out eventually? I mean...the elders? Byakuya? Won't they eventually know you are pregnant?"

"You are right," Tetsuya whispered, a tormented look on his face, "Renji-san...!"

"Hey, calm down, all right?" Renji said, rubbing his back lightly, "We'll figure something out."

He bit his lip gently, thinking.

"Tetsuya, what if...what if we tell Taichou that...I fathered the baby?"

"N-no!" Tetsuya said, tears rolling onto his face, "I could never even think of letting him think I would do that! I have been Byakuya-sama's lover for many years, though as yet he has not taken me, nor I him. I mean, we would have, but what happened in the prison...did something to me. I can only go so far, but when he tries to penetrate me, I freeze. I become...ill. I have tried everything to overcome it. I only haven't been able to go to a healer because we cannot take the chance that word will get back to the clan."

"Okay," said Renji, taking the younger man's hands in his.

Neither heard the door to the suite open, nor Byakuya's soft footsteps as he approached the room, then paused in the doorway.

"I want you to listen to me," Renji went on, looking into Tetsuya's anxious eyes, "You say that you and Taichou have been together for a long time. And...I'll tell you. When he got here and I saw the two of you together, I started to think something was going on. Then...earlier, I saw him kiss you."

"I know. I saw you in the doorway," Tetsuya said softly.

"Let me just assure you. I'm not going to tell anyone. I can see that the two of you want this kept private, and I'll respect that. I care about Taichou, and I care about you, so I'm not going to say anything and cause you two any grief."

"Arigatou, Renji-san," Tetsuya sighed, relief plain in his expression.

"But...that being said, I am going to give you some advice, and I really want you to think about it."

Tetsuya nodded silently.

"I think that you should trust your cousin. I know Byakuya taichou and I _know_ he isn't going to fly off the handle and start a war without first thinking things through. This guy who raped you...this clan leader, you think he might have done it to get Taichou to lose his cool and start something?"

Tetsuya bit at his lips and nodded.

"Kuromori Tatsuo is just like that," he explained, "He _wants_ there to be a conflict. So, when he surprised me here yesterday and realized it was me and not Byakuya-sama..."

"He figured he'd do something that would set Taichou off. But...did he know he could get you pregnant? Would he try to use that?"

"Probably not," said Tetsuya, shaking his head, "Because even if he tried to claim that the contact was consensual, he would have to claim me as his property to legitimize the child. Both of our councils would demand that."

"And he doesn't want...sorry, a 'mixed blood' heir, ne?"

"Absolutely not," said Tetsuya, shaking his head, "His clan hates the half bloods like me. It's part of the reason we are so much at odds."

"Okay, so Byakuya taichou is not going to rush into a war to avenge what the guy did, and the guy isn't going to try to take you away from Taichou, ne?"

"Right," agreed Tetsuya.

"And, he doesn't know that you and Taichou are seeing each other?"

"No," said Tetsuya, "No one knows but the three of us."

"So..." Renji concluded, "There is nothing standing in your way. You need to go to him. You need to tell him. Let him help you, Tetsuya. It is obvious that the two of you really need each other right now."

Tetsuya went silent, holding his breath as Renji's words fell across his mind. Several long minutes passed while he considered, then lowered his eyes and gave a long, shuddering sigh.

"You are right, Renji-san," he whispered, "It is what I longed to do all along. It was such a weight to carry on my own. I am...very grateful to you for helping me to think this through. I will tell him. As soon as he returns, I will tell him everything. Thank you."

"Abarai fukutaichou," Byakuya said from the doorway, making the two freeze, "You have my gratitude as well."

He stepped into the room and paused, looking down into Tetsuya's widened eyes. Renji started to let go of Tetsuya's hands, but Byakuya's stopped him and the clan leader's eyes made him go still and silent again.

"You took a great weight from my lover's heart," Byakuya said quietly, "I knew that something was wrong and that he wanted to tell me but could not, for some reason. You comforted and healed him. You gave him the advice he needed so that he could say the words to me. The situation we are in is a difficult one. And we will need to be careful as we move forward."

He went quiet for a moment, thinking.

"I came back early because the situation that we were here to address has resolved itself. We are on leave for the next week. I asked you before if you wished to join Tetsuya and me at the beach house. Before, it was an offer of leisure, but this time, I ask of necessity. I think that the three of us need to work together on this. So, Renji, will you agree to come with us to the beach house?"

Renji looked from Tetsuya's relieved face to Byakuya's surprisingly hopeful one and back again, a smile forming on his lips.

"Yeah," he said, nodding, "I don't know a damned thing about clan law or any of that..."

"That is not necessary," said Byakuya, "I will explain things as needed. It is just that, you have a soothing effect on Tetsuya. And I would give him whatever comforts I can while we come to terms with all of this."

"Well, I don't know what use I'll be, but I'm in, Taichou."

Byakuya offered him a very rare, tenuous smile.

"I trusted that you could be counted on, Renji," he said approvingly, "Now, with any luck, the three of us will be able to come up with some way for the Kuchiki clan to avoid a full-scale war."

He reached down to caress Tetsuya's cheek then gently induced sleep.

"Rest, watashi no koi," he said softly, "You will need your strength for what lies ahead."

He met Renji's eyes calmly again.

"Come, Renji, there are a few details that we need to discuss regarding the resolution of our mission, then we can talk more about Tetsuya."

Renji bit his lip gently and glanced up at the noble.

"You're...not mad I didn't come to you right away?" he asked hesitantly.

"No," the clan leader answered, shaking his head, "My cousin was likely beside himself after that beast had his way with him. He needed time to collect himself, and I am glad that he did not have to do so alone."

Renji cleared his throat nervously.

"Uh, you said that you weren't going to, you know, start anything with that guy, right? Because that's part of what had Tetsuya on edge. He doesn't want to be the reason your clan goes to war and people die."

"I understand. And I will not initiate open war."

He surprised Renji then with a sudden smirk.

"But...there are more ways than one to make Kuromori Tatsuo feel the effects of my wrath."

"Heh," Renji chuckled, "I don't think I would want to be in that guy's shoes right now..."

"No," Byakuya said sedately, "You would not."


End file.
